Farm gives old horses a place to find themselves again

Unwanted, older horses have become a growing problem in the United States, and as their numbers have increased, the need for equine retirement homes such as Mitchell Farm in Salem also has grown.

Sharma Howard

Horses have a bond to humans that resonates far back through time. Yet these magnificent creatures are still more of a utilitarian animal to humans than domestic pets, creating a burden when they have outlived the enjoyment humans derive from owning them.

Unwanted, older horses have become a growing problem in the United States, and as their numbers have increased, the need for equine retirement homes such as Mitchell Farm in Salem also has grown.

“When a dog or cat age, as long as they are in acceptable health and not a lot of pain, they still provide a service — their tail wags, the purr happens and they are on the lap providing everything we want from them,” said volunteer Steve Watson of Bozrah, sitting down for a late morning coffee break at Mitchell Farm. “Horses can’t sit on your lap; they are still utilitarian animals.”

It’s April, and the harsh winter weather has broken. Mucking out stalls, spreading hay and doing chores is becoming more enjoyable — the slight nip in the air is invigorating, the pasture picturesque.

Yet at Mitchell Farm, enjoyment is on the back burner, as Steve, his wife, Carol Watson and Donna Tobias of Waterford will tell you.

The three volunteers said at the nonprofit horse retirement farm it’s all about the horses. They come here to retire and learn “how to be a horse again,” said Dee Doolittle, founder and executive director.

Horses must return to their natural state as herd animals, so they socialize with each other, roll in the grass, eat and sleep. Humans impose two rules: teeth must be checked; they must stand for the ferrier.

Three equine processing plants — the only ones operating in the United States (two in Texas, one in Illinois) — were closed last year because of action at the state level.

While Doolittle doesn’t believe in horse slaughter, their closings only deepen what she views as a growing problem: the retirement and care of horses.

In 2004, Doolittle founded Mitchell Farm, which takes in horses age 20 or older for a one-time fee of $6,000. This will care for a horse’s needs for a year; the rest of the money required to care for them needs to be raised. At age 20, horses still have time to enjoy their leisure — some of them living until 34, depending on care and their origin equine discipline, Doolittle said.

All the horses at the farm had their ownership transferred; their owners searched for a suitable placement once they reached retirement age.

One woman followed her pony as it transferred owners, asking only that she be able to get it back when it was old so she could place it. Another horse, Fino, a large chestnut, was a Grand Prix jumper who helped his owner develop as a rider to compete at that level. Once she retired him, she found out people still wanted to use him to jump when other horses became injured, aggressively treating him with injections so he could jump. The only way to make sure he truly retired was to bring him to Mitchell Farm at age 22.

On the list

The farm is at capacity with 24 horses, a drop in the bucket, Doolittle said, in addressing the problem of an aging horse population that will have nowhere to go. The farm has 45 horses on the waiting list.

Because of the shortage, Doolittle advises horse owners to make plans for their horses as soon as possible, and for prospective horse owners to think “long and hard” about the responsibility of owning a horse.

While there are no more processing plants operating now, horses can still be sent to auction, where they are then shipped to Canada, or Mexico, where they are sometimes worked to death.

Sometimes, an older horse might be used as a companion to a younger horse, but most people, Doolittle noted, aren’t knowledgeable in senior horse care, and the horse suffers.

In the 1980s, the horse population exploded because of the availability of cooled, shipped semen, making backyard breeding practices more common. Now these horses will be in need of retirement options, Doolittle said.

And the fee may seem steep, boarding a horse can cost $400 to $500 per month — a figure that doesn’t include shoes or veterinarian bills.

A bill waiting in the federal legislature calls to end the processing of horses; however, the ban of such plants doesn’t take into account more infrastructure that will address the nearly 100,000 unwanted horses that end up in such places yearly, which is why the American Association of Equine Practitioners is opposing the legislature.

“We feel it offered a humane option for horses with no other alternative, but abuse and neglect and abandonment,” said association spokesperson Sally Baker.

Volunteers make it work

The fate that awaits some animals motivates those who love horses to work at Mitchell Farm — appearing like a miracle to Doolittle in the depth of winter.
“Sometimes, I’m really surprised to see them walk through the door,” she said. “I don’t know if I could do it if I didn’t have to.”

It’s the love of the horses that motivates Carol Watson, who has been working there for two and half years, three days per week.

“It’s like another life,” Watson said. “It’s a very special place. When I come here, there are no other problems, just the horses, and it tests you physically. All you have to do is hear a little nicker and lead them out; there’s something very therapeutic about it.”

For the horses, it’s simple.

“I think they get it,” Doolittle said. “They are here to be retired.”

Reach Sharma Howard at 425-4235 or showard@norwichbulletin.com

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